much appreciation

Irene, at Bloesem Kids, was kind enough to feature maya*made and my portable art studio yesterday. I've been reading her regularly since I started blogging and was so thrilled to see myself up under her banner. If you're not familiar with Bloesem Kids make sure to pour yourself a cup of tea (coffee) and set aside a little time to hang out at her fabulous site. She offers everything I love for children in a beautiful, understated format. Bloesem Kids finds gorgeous handmade/indie clothing and accessories, in depth children's book reviews, wonderful craft projects by Arounna Khounnoraj, and gives Open Houses (tours of interesting family homes). Irene just opened her own shop filled with wee footwear (some handmade by her) and vintage children's books. Recently, both her adult (Bloesem) and child blogs were included in Martha Stuart's Best of The Blogs: Editor's Picks...congratulations Irene!




I would also like to give a long over due public thanks to Cassi at The Crafty Crow, a children's craft collective. She took me under her wing and has been my biggest on-line supporter. I can't thank her enough for the many opportunities she has given me to reach out to new readers. The Crafty Crow is the most amazing resource for parents and teachers that I have discovered...ever! The amount of thought and energy that she puts into each post is daunting. She consistently makes our lives more creative and beautiful with our children by having a daily destination for inspiration... that is varied and accessible. Cassi you're my hero!

I have been extremely excited and humbled by the nice attention brought over to my blog throughout the web and am finally getting around to organizing some of the links for a portfolio, of sorts. I've noticed other bloggers keeping track of their "press" and my previous post was the only way I could figure out how to create a linked page in my sidebar through Blogger.

maya*made is always evolving and I'm always looking for new ways to organize, tidy up and present myself to you. I'm also planning a couple of additions to my regular posts, such as:

-blogroll showcase: choosing a favorite artist or crafter from my blogroll to highlight with a mini interview
-children's book reviews: this has been in the works for too long!

If you're doing a little blog cleaning and updating, as well, I'd like to direct your attention to this informative article over at Indie Fixx today.

Special Topics in Calamity Business by Lyndsey McDonald - 8 Tips for Writing Your Blog for Search Engine Optimization

My hope is to keep inspiring you to bring ingenuity and creativity into your lives, as I strive to do the same.